Cultural Impacts of the Civil Rights Act

Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, and the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution were historical milestones in which the ever controversial topic of racial equality was first challenged. In theory, these two movements laid the groundwork for a racially equal United States of America. A country in which every member, regardless of skin color, or race were to be treated equally under the eyes of the law and to one day be treated as equals within all realms of society. As historic and powerful as these movements were, they did

One of the most influential movements in history was the Civil Rights Movement. During the Civil Rights Movement history changed for the fight for equal rights, it created a path for future reforms and a hope for a better future. The Civil Rights lasted for many years and it helped have other reforms take place. It helped shape the future of the law and it created a huge controversy that led to freedom. Although it took many years, it changed the life of many and left a legacy that will never be forgotten.

In the required readings from this week, the author elaborates on The Civil War Amendments in which the fundamental focus of equality did not affect the United States until a set of Amendments took place within the constitution (Saylor 159). The thirteenth, fourteenth, and the fifteenth amendments helped “expand” upon the federal governments power and jurisdiction as these amendments worked towards disrupting discrimination towards voting rights and rights within the United States (Saylor 159).

The purpose of this paper is to review and analyze chapters 13 and 14, Civil Liberties and Civil Rights, in the eighth edition textbook, American Government, by Cal Jillson. Chapter 13, Civil Liberties, discusses the origins of the Bill of Rights, Freedom of Expressions, Freedom of Religion, and other topics. First, each chapter, individually, will be introduced before reviewing and analyzing each topic within the chapter. There will be a switch from an objective point to a subjective point once I begin to review and analyze each topic. After reviewing and analyzing the topics of Chapter 13, I will do the same for Chapter 14. Chapter 14, Civil Rights, topics include: Affirmative Actions, Affirmative Actions in the Workplace, Affirmative

Before the civil rights legislation, Sociologist William Julius Wilson said that African Americans experiences were dominated by race. Throughout the US, African Americans were excluded from avenues of economic advancement, for example; good schools and good jobs. When the civil rights legislation opened new opportunities, African Americans seized them. Just as legislation began to open doors to African Americans, however, manufacturing jobs dried up, and many blue-collar jobs were moved to the suburbs. As better-educated African Americans obtained middle-class, white-collar jobs moved out of the inner city, they left behind the African Americans with poor education and few

Besides the previous reasons stated, one of the most common problems for women in the workplace is being discriminated against due to pregnancy. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has stated seeing a 65 percent increase in complaints about discrimination against pregnant women in the workplace between 1992 and 2007 (Chaney, 2008). Example of pregnancy discrimination are refusing to hire a pregnant woman, firing or demoting a pregnant women, denying a woman the same or similar job when she returns, or treating a pregnant employee differently than other temporarily disabled employees. Many women get laid off and even fired from their jobs because they get pregnant. Often male bosses will give excuses for these situations saying that the woman is unable to do their job or that their missing attendance will be a problem due to their pregnancy. Some bosses simply give the reason that women will not be as interested in their job once the child is born, which is an outrageous assumption to make.

The civil rights impacted the world in so many great ways. Without them everyone would be separated because of their race and other people's ignorance. Civil rights helped in ways nobody can explain and the Supreme Court has helped with making all of this possible. The Supreme Court has made many decisions to impact civil rights: Dred Scott vs. Sanford, Shelley vs. Kraemer, and Brown vs. Board of Education.

Civil rights are the protection from discrimination by both the government and individuals, which are rooted both in laws and the Fourteenth Amendments’ equal protection clause. With protection for women, African Americans, native Americans, Asians, and Latinos the perception of equivalence has developed over time. Even with our efforts to live in a colorless culture, cognizance of race still impacts countless opinions and actions. Past the inadequate treatment of ethnic minorities, women, and the LBGT communities, inequalities on political, social, and economic conditions also continue. More whites are able to participate politically at a greater level, enjoy a superior standard of living, and avoid prejudice in the criminal justice system because of these

Out of the jaws of civil war, the new United States had emerged. Broken and burning and minus 620,000 men, a new challenge lay before the nation: social equality. How would we address the sickening grievances endured by these African American now-citizens? That question has hallmarked fiery debates from dinner tables all the way to the Supreme Court for more than a century. During the Civil Rights Movement, millions of American citizens demonstrated across the country in pursuit of fairness, and famously in his “I Have a Dream” speech, Dr. Martin Luther King championed the idea of a country that saw no color, but based judgement on the content of character. Through decades of policy, our government implemented social reform within institutions of education and employment. Collectively known as Affirmative Action, this social reform established racial preferences in favor of minority groups at the expense of whites and Asians. This social reform was unquestionably established in good faith, but into what has this festered now? The pursuit of fairness is perhaps the most American in spirit, and a goal toward which we all strive together. Unfortunately, the policies collectively known as Affirmative Action, however well-intended, have further widened the boundaries between us through some ideal of ‘righteous’ discrimination. The time has come, it seems, that our government and our nation rethink the policies

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act is designed to protect employees from any type of discrimination which includes hiring, promotions, job responsibilities, layoffs, benefits, and any other terms of employment. Employers are required by law to provide accommodations to women experiencing a medical condition related to the pregnancy that stops them from performing their usual job responsibilities. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act amended Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that prohibits sex discrimination on the basis of pregnancy. This act also covers childbirth and related medical conditions. By law, pregnancy is considered to be a temporary disability and pregnant employees must be reasonably accommodated and treated by employers as

According to the article "Pregnancy discrimination in the workplace target of new EEOC crackdown," the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission" is focusing on the problem of discrimination against pregnant women in the workplace as part of its renewed vigor in enforcing anti-discrimination laws. "During the past week, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed four pregnancy discrimination related lawsuits and settled a fifth -- just weeks after the government's workplace discrimination law enforcement arm announced a plan to target employers who illegally discriminate against pregnant women" (Wilkie 2012). Discriminating against a woman because she is pregnant or may become pregnant is against the law, just as discriminating against someone because of race, religion, ethnicity, or other protected status.

The best thing a company can do to protect itself from pregnancy discrimination litigation is to train all managers appropriately, particularly those who directly oversee employees. When it comes to creating policies that pertain to pregnancy, it is important for a human resource manager to acknowledge that pregnancy is to be treated as a temporary disability. Therefore, the type of accommodations that ought to be made should mirror those for related disabilities or illnesses. Likewise, rules that are imposed for temporary disabilities can also be imposed for pregnancy. The EEOC states that a pregnant employee cannot be singled out for special measures in an attempt to determine her ability to continue her work. Instead, management should wait

“The law clearly states the employer cannot retaliate against a woman speaking up for her rights, but many employers do it anyway. They just find another reason to fire them down the road,” (Cunha, 2014). The reason they discriminate may be because of the stereotypes about pregnant women or productivity pressures. The director may be rushed in their business at the time and it affects their productivity. For instance, if a woman working for a tax revenue goes on maternity leave around April, which is the busiest time of the year; the director may feel that it would be easier to fire her and find a replacement than to wait for her to come back. The stereotypes also view pregnant working women as less competent in the workplace which both male and female co-workers agree with this stereotype. The stereotypes also view pregnant women as emotional, irrational, physically limited and less committed to their jobs, according to a study published in 1993, which is why employers fear pregnant employees (Armour, 2005). “When women become pregnant, they are seen as putting personal life ahead of work,” (Armour, 2005). “A lot of people at companies are getting away with this, and they have to be called on their bad behavior,” says a woman who lost her triplets due to stress caused by her employers. They had cut her pay when she went on bedrest for a week, excluded her from meetings, and had generally been pressured to quit. The employers knew what they were doing but did not care because she worked at a Global Corporation and they could find a quick replacement (Armour,

Here in the U.S.A civil rights have led to the African American Civil Rights movement as well as the American Indian Movement. They have added new amendment’s to our civil rights that have included the enactment of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendment’s. The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery, but some states enacted “black codes” that were intended to limit newly freed slaves civil rights. Then in 1868 the Fourteenth Amendment countered these “black codes”, to give equal rights to all.

Our country is built upon the ideology of democracy through the freedom to vote and have a say, liberty and justice for all. We foster the belief that “all men are created equal” and because of these beliefs American people on a whole want and expect equal treatment. In the textbook Patterson, uses the term civil rights. Civil rights are terms “that refers to the right of every person to have equal protection under the laws and equal access to society’s opportunities and public facilities” (Patterson, 2015, p. 141). Civil liberties, are about specific individuals or group rights and being treated equally by the government or private institutions under the law. However, the ideology of these right is not always felt by all races in practice and this has led to specific groups pursuing and securing and equality. The subject of voting has been important because the American culture is built around it and it is a civil right and it is every constituent’s right to exercise their civil liberties of which voting is a part of.